AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Eleven
‡
Drew looked down at Baylee now curled up against him as they watched a movie. It was the final scene in The Natural where Robert Redford’s character, Roy Hobbs, hits a home run and smashes the lights, causing a fireworks display as he runs the bases. Based on the sniffling noises, Baylee was as moved by the movie as Drew was every time he watched. He kissed the top of her head, the scent of vanilla filling his senses. Having his arm wrapped around her, snuggled up on her sofa while they watched a movie was better than any other night he’d had in a long, long time.
The credits began to roll and Baylee sat up to reach for a tissue from the box that sat on the end table.
“That was so good! I love that movie.”
“Told ya.” He grinned at her. She’d turned to face him, her feet curled up under her, her emerald eyes shimmering with tears.
“It’s so sad, and yet so wonderful.”
“All true.” In the story, Roy Hobbs had lost baseball but came back.
Loved the sport enough to stick with it. End his career his way. Drew’s story wasn’t quite the same as the movie. But he did understand loving the game enough to do everything possible to stay in it.
Baylee’s smile warmed him. He leaned over and kissed her. Through the movie, he’d thought of their talk in the kitchen. She’d thrown him a curve ball when she wanted to know where their relationship was going, but she was right to throw it. It wasn’t fair to any of them, especially her and Casey, to not talk about things. And he was relieved to find she wanted to give it a shot as much as he did. What warmed him the most though was she didn’t even mention him leaving baseball. She was willing to try and make it work as it was. He still wasn’t sure what to do with that. Most women wanted him for the fame and money, but not the tough stuff that went with it. He’d had one serious girlfriend he’d even considered marrying, but she wanted him to give up baseball. She didn’t want the life.
But Baylee hadn’t asked a thing of him other than to give them a chance. And he loved her all the more for it. Yeah. Love. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her again. He was falling and falling hard for the blonde baker. If only he could get rid of the nagging doubts in his head that his world, his life, would be their downfall.
No. He wouldn’t go there. Not now. Casey was asleep and he had Baylee all to himself. He wasn’t going to waste that time battling negative thoughts. Here. Now. That was what mattered.
Baylee laid her head in his lap and looked up at him. “What’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours?”
Man, she was gorgeous. Staring up at him with doe eyes that sparkled, her blonde curls draped over his leg. He rested an arm across her middle and rubbed her hair back from her forehead with his other hand. “Beautiful, huh?”
“Yes. I recognized at dinner how much you and Casey are alike. Not big talkers but there’s always something going on up there.” She tapped his head lightly with her finger.
He laughed. “I’m not so sure I would say beautiful. Or assume too much quality stuff is running through this brain. It’s usually baseball stats and not much else.”
Although his mind was filling up fast with thoughts of her. When they weren’t together, he constantly thought of where she was, what she was doing, if she was okay. And Casey too. The kid had worked his way into Drew’s heart just as much as Baylee. He was aware from the start they were a package deal and he loved everything about the two of them.
“What was your favorite part about the movie? He wasn’t big on talking about himself and was more than ready to have the conversation be about her and not him.
“The woman.”
“What?” His puzzled look made her laugh.
“It’s always the woman who keeps him grounded. Tells him he’s got what it takes. She gives him confidence. Just like the Rocky movies.”
Now she really had him confused.
She laughed again. A sound he could listen to all night.
“In the Rocky movies, it’s Adrian that keeps him going.”
“I’m not following.” He’d seen the Rocky movies countless times and never once had he thought of them as anything but a good pump-up flick. Something to watch before a big game or when he needed a boost to go workout.
“Men think those movies are just about boxing. Winning.”
“Yeah.” He still wasn’t following.
“But think about it. In each one, he doesn’t get what he needs to fight and win until he has Adrian. At some point in each movie, she doesn’t like the idea of him fighting, whether it’s because of who he is fighting or why. But once she gets on board, tells him she’s behind him no matter what, that’s when he pushes through and wins.”
Drew turned this over in his mind as she kept talking.
“And in The Natural, he didn’t get his focus back until he found his high school sweetheart again. Until she was supporting him. That floozy he was dating wanted him to give up baseball and run away. But not the woman he was meant to be with. She understood him. Knew what it took to get him to play at his best.”
